By Melissa Wynn
Photos Courtesy Jesse O’Rourke
One of the main reasons so many avid outdoorsmen call Northern California home is due to their need for adventure and a common addiction to adrenaline. Nowhere is this more obvious than with Chico native Jesse O’Rourke, extreme snowmobiler and member of the Boondockers team.
This team of extreme back country snowmobile enthusiasts formed out of a love of adventure, and the Boondockers video series evolved naturally from a desire to share those adventures with other adrenaline junkies around the globe. You can find Jesse at his best in some of the most intense terrain imaginable in several of the Boondockers’ films. This mad man of the mountains has appeared in episodes 11,12,13,14 and 15. Visit boondockers.com online to order these breathtaking full length films from the mountains of the Western United States. You can also catch shorter but thrilling trailers and teasers on Youtube.com.
Jesse was born into the extreme sporting world, taking his first snowmobile ride before birth with his outdoorsy mother, Jeanne Burroughs, and he has never looked back. Growing up, Jesse spent many winters riding around the Mountain Valley Living neighborhood. His younger years were spent in Plumas County around the LaPorte area and he still rides there when weather allows. One of his favorite rides is around Butte Meadows. This allows Jesse to be on the snow in under an hour from his home in Chico. The High Lakes area around Paradise and Bucks Lake outside Quincy offer more miles of unmerciful terrain for those in search of way more than a groomed trail ride.
I found out about Jesse while searching the “Meet The Riders” section of the Polaris website for someone local to interview. Turns out he is an Official Snowmobile Ambassador for the Polaris brand, being chosen from thousands of applicants due to his extremely adventurous spirit and extensive snowmobiling experience. Before joining up with Boondockers family of talented riders/videographers, Jesse appeared in the Team Summit film series, also dedicated to the sport of extreme backcountry snowmobiling. Follow our own local Polaris Pro Jesse O’Rourke and the Boondockers on
Facebook to share vicariously in the wild riding adventures of these seasoned experts. Beginners should never attempt any of the dangerous stunts found in the films that it took these veterans of the sport decades to master.
Winter is upon us and with a few good feet of snowfall we will all soon drag out our snow machines of all shapes and sizes and head to the mountains to play in the powder. Keep your eyes peeled for Jesse on his 2018 800 RMK Pro out there. Perhaps you can get a few tips from a true local pro.
